Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 March 2014
372. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he recently discussed Sellafield with the United Kingdom Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6196/14]
View answerI have not met Prime Minister Cameron to discuss Sellafield. As I have policy responsibility for nuclear safety issues, my Department monitors the UK nuclear sector on an on-going basis and convenes regular meetings with UK counterparts to discuss general policy matters and raise matters of interest or concern, where appropriate, on Sellafield or other nuclear related issues. In addition, Ireland is a stakeholder in all UK nuclear consultations and is on the relevant notification lists, should incidents occur at Sellafield or anywhere else.
In November 2012, I published a summary of a commissioned report prepared by an independent team of international experts which assessed the probable risks to Ireland from incidents at the Sellafield nuclear site. The experts quantified the likelihood of an incident occurring at Sellafield resulting in the release of radioactive material and found that such an incident would give rise to “no observable health effects in Ireland”.
